hutch
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Posts posted by hutch
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no JPOP at Hakkoda.....ok ...occasionally in the ropeway building but nothing so bad as morning murder musume
blissful sounds of pow and that's about it
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cheers everyone
thanks particularly to Nick who said there's a map in the mail.....frig I love SJG
in Bangkok airport right now...to Bangladesh tonight and then over to Kathmandu tommorow....
got a 10 day rafting trip down the SunKosi lined up!!
betcha I'll see snow this year before you guys!!! hahaha
(frig-should have brought my skis!)
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skis: ATOMIC DEEP POWDER / SALAMON XSCREAM
binding: SALAMON 900 series
boots: who cares- they fit great and you can't see them for all the pow
goggle: arnette
jacket: MEC hydrophobia 2
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After 4 awesome years with Hakkoda as my backyard mountain I am leaving the Nippon POW and heading back to BC.
In fact.....I'm moving to Fernie.
Anyone out there in the SJG world that has skiied Fernie since the new quads went in?
Anyone willing to spill the beans on the mountain and the town?
onegai
peacethruPOW
Hutch
ps. wanna eat some real au naturelle Japanese POW this year....check out: "Hakkoda Ropeway Powder Mecca":
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Drew
Full on you get busted.
I had a buddy a couple of years ago who got done for growing a few plants in his house....taken wild and growing them in his house.
Busted just like the Japanese mogulers in his car.
He waited 6 months in jail before trial....then got a 2 year sentence....suspended for 3 years I believe. Swiftly left the country....not sure how long if ever he'll be allowed back in.
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Ross was hardly an embarrassment.
I a world that needs to get over their fear of pot.....our PM stood up for Ross (he himself said he smoked dope...as opposed to the lying 'didn't inhale' cigar lovin pres to the south)....
FYI Ross full on smoked a crap load in Whistler....my old roomie used to ski with him. Can't believe the Japanese authorities bought that crap.
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Hakkoda saw some major dumps this past season despite it being a crap year....
2nd week of Feb is a guarantee in the 4 years I've been riding there....
as Jeff Mohr said in a review:
Total backcountry paradise. One gondola gives you access to a whole mountain playground. One problem, my 158 is too short to handle the 60 cm of fresh we got last night.
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the most HYPED and biggest let down
Zao in Yamagata
multiple owners (ex-farmers) make for crap design!
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you need to check out the articles on http://www.powdermag.com
they always do a big travel section in the spring....
Las Lenas mentioned sometimes
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Gassan trip over Golden week is common for late season...check out a past SJG feature by Dean:
Part 1 http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-26.html
Part 2 http://www.skijapanguide.com/2002/features/general-27.html
There's always Fuji in June! (bring the rock skis and ice axes)
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Hike
Camp
Single track (if I can find it)
wait for winter
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Good to hear from Ben Kerr again and the POWDER CONNECTION column.
It looks like Niseko-Hirafu is going to be the starting point for a major shift in the Japanese ski industry.
RIGHT ON!
Ducking the ropes has finally paid off......just hope that making those area offical doesn't lead to too many new rules.... after all I've found in Japan it's easier to apologize than to ask permission eh?
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BC Canada
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SWASS?
excuse my northern Tohoku ignorance
kono imo!
(I'm a potato aka northern hick)
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Go to the thread titled
JAPAN WINTER CORE X-GAMES on page 4 of the forum
Hutch
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Been here a total of almost 5 years.
can get by ok
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powderhound.......
give me the gansha!
(see the look on your Japanese friend when you ask what THAT means!)
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Brodie,
hey.... the later you go in the season the less powder you will find. As I wrote in the article the best powder can be found in February.
Hakkoda isn't a resort....it's a ropeway giving access to a national park area. Very few buildings with a lot of personality. I'd highly recommend to stay at the Hakkoda Mt Lodge (sansoo)...the number is in the article.
I assume you are wanting to go into the backcountry. Offically the backcountry bus doesn't start until April 1st. And I HIGHLY advise against setting out into the backcountry there without a member of the guide club. (see the article for their number).
If you are just planning on riding in the ropeway area you can get in as many as 10 runs in a day if you ride hard, don't get lost (ie stay on the marked trails/off-piste trails) and it is not a weekend. The March pass is 16,000 yen and I could pay that off in two days if I rode hard......otherwise just budget for 1000 yen a ride up.
Hakkoda is like no other mt you've been to in Japan.
On a clear day it's amazing....and on a poor day it can be hostile yet dumping powder. There are usually always a wind of 10m/s.
any other ques feel free to contact me.
Regards
Hutch
hutchinjapan@yahoo.ca
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hittin Hakkoda again of course....
got a call from Dellboy saying it was dumping this morning...
hehehe
staying in the cabins at MoyaHills down in Aomori.....
crazy horse saloon (Grateful Dead bar) for some heavy drinkin
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powderhead on heli-fats....might as well be a boarder!
if you guys have never ridden the pow on serious fats (130cm tip to tail) and 180cm in length you haven't really ridden the pow....you been sinking in it....
the versatility of skis with the floating speed of a board....watch next years line of skis for some major changes in that direction....the 2003 Salomon AK launchers can bee seen on powdermag.com when they visit Copper Mt on the 'Powder to the People Tour': http://www.powdermag.com/pttp2002/index.shtml?article=02_08
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Ever heard of the powder triangle in BC?....
Fernie is likely to be the next Whistler.
Of course there is always Utah....snowbird-alta interconnect. (parkcity for you jibbers out there)
Whistler-blackcomb and the backcountry is just straight out sick.....and whistler is a city in itself.....if you don't mind paying thru the ass for a closet
there's more.....can anyone beat Girdwood Alaska or Alyeska?
check out powdermag.com for some of the lowdown
anyone have any suggestions for anywhere in Europe?
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The HAKKODA ROPEWAY POWDER MECCA feature article (Feb 13 release) can be found at:
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This came across a email list I am on...thought some of you might be interested.....any budding pros out there?? or just those that wanna go get sloshed and see some jibbing?
from the Akita list;
>
> Akita Jets no mina-san,
>
> A co-worker has asked me to pass on the word about
> the
> following event - sounds like a lot of fun, get in
> touch if you're interested...
>
> ** Ski/Snowboard Competition and Dance Party **
> When: March 16th / 17th (Sat/Sun)
> Where: Alpas Ski Area, Kazuno City (north-east
> corner
> of Akita)
> What: Extreme ski / snowboard competition
> What else: DJ-led dance party (SOUND×SHAKE×MASTER)
> on Saturday night with
> all you can drink booze
> And: Cheap! cheap! accommodation in the lodge
> The Events
> Two events: Boarder Cross (5 competitors race each
> other down the hill, over
> jumps and tabletops and the like) and Big Air
> (really
> big jumps with flips
> and stuff).
> Three classes: Snowboard, Ski and Ski Board. All
> three
> classes compete
> separately in both events.
> The Big Air events take place Saturday, with the
> finals from 6:30-8:30.
> Spectators will act as the judges.
> Boarder cross events will take place throughout
> Sunday
>
> Beginners are welcome to compete (3,000 yen entry
> fee), but if you don’t
> feel ready to do any “big airE spectating is
> free.
> Interested?
> See http://www.ink.or.jp/~shin/index.htm (Japanese
> only)
> Or, contact Phil directly (between 8:30 and 5:00)
> kikaku@ink.or.jp TEL: 0186-30-0201 FAX: 0186-23-5300
>
> Cheers,
> Phil Gibbon, Kazuno
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Cheers eh?
I'll try to get out the backcountry article sometime in late March or early April.
Maybe something about the Iwaki-san spring summit and backcountry bowls in late April.
later
Hutch
Ainu Fest in Asahikawa??
in General off-topic discussions
Posted
Does anyone know the dates and place of the Annual Ainu Fest this year in Asahikawa?? Hokkaido?
I heard it is excellently chill (but usually the same weekend as Sado Island's Earth Celebration with KODO.....that is excellent beach camping)
please post !
cheers
Hutch